Part Two of Keeping It Super Simple...Scripting
Thank you to those who felt compelled to share a comment on the blog. It's easy to do and much appreciated.
It's kind of funny...I had new and old entrepreneurs approaching me about yesterday's blog, detailing how they've been struggling with the exact same thoughts, feelings and situations.
Last night at another presentation, I had a mentor of mine, who read the blog and commented, ask me "so how long is it going to be tonight, ha!" I said I am going to "try" to do it in less than 25 minutes, because I really hadn't had the time to "script" it yet.
I spent all last night tossing and turning trying to figure out how I could summarize and close in 8 minutes and 16 seconds - And I think I got it...
Verbal Summary - No Slides...
Who you are and how long you've been doing it (in a sentence or two max)
Detail exactly what it is the company and you do (in a sentence or two max)
Mention any third party documentation (in a sentence or two max)
Mention any endorsers or major players involved (in a sentence or two max)
Close - No Slides...
prior to the presentation you should have met and gotten to know who the attendees are
So,
Equate the pitch to their particular life, business etc...
Create Massive Vision
Ask questions that "require" a "yes" answer from the attendees
Sort...
In my humble opinion, I believe that the above summary & close can easily be done in 8 minutes and 16 seconds.
Or, you could "script" your own summary & close - Which I highly recommend.
Till next time...
~b2
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Keeping It Super Simple - Attention Spans
Good Morning My Friendly Blog Followers...
Last night, after completing a 48-minute Business Presentation, I realized that I didn't even remember discussing certain slides within the presentation.
During my drive home, I called a colleague who was in attendance and asked, "Did I discuss x, y & z in the presentation tonight - as I don't even remember talking about them.
Their response was, "of course you did. Actually you nailed all of those points."
Wow !!!
Upon hanging up the phone, I started thinking about this - Actually, obsessing about it.
I started thinking back on my corporate career experience - from a public speaking standpoint - and it reminded me of a few things...
1) The more you do something (over & over & over & over again), you create deep neural pathways in the brain which allows you to become unconsciously competent at doing them (example: tying your shoes, reading etc.) This means you can unconsciously do something, very well, even though you don't particularly remember doing it.
2) The second thing I started obsessing about was the fact that if I didn't remember everything I presented, how on earth would the guests in the room remember everything I said - especially since they were only hearing it for the first time.
From these two simple, yet important observations, I realized that we as entrepreneurial professionals, all need to re-look at our presentation skills on a regular basis. We should record and/or film ourselves regularly so as to get a different perspective of us presenting IE: be the listener instead of the presenter.
Upon arriving home, all I could think about was the presentation, the audience, and their ability to grasp all the information that I shared ~ or their inability.
Was it my fault if they didn't or couldn't grasp everything that was shared? Do I need to shorten, tighten up or modify the presentation? Or continue doing as I've always done.
Well, that lead to a sleepless night. Tossing and turning going over my presentation countless times.
This morning, I decided I was going to go online and do some research on "The Average Human Being's Attention Span".
What I found truly blew my mind.
Obviously there are many, many, many factors involved within this topic, but the overwhelming statistical fact I read was that the average adults attention span is just 20 minutes !!!
Some of the "simple" factors involved are:
~ The font size/family/style & colour used in the PowerPoint
~ The number of bullet points on a slide
~ The amount of time (minutes) spent on each slide etc.
Then there are some more "difficult" factors that the presenter might not be aware of:
~ Is the Adult actually interested in the information being shared?
~ Does the Adult even want to be there?
~ Their current mindset (did they have a relaxing or exhausting/stressful day)
Then, there are medical questions pertaining to the number of undiagnosed cases of ADD within today's Adults - Thus greatly reducing the "average" 20 minute attention span.
All of this research got me thinking about my presentations; the time being spent on them; the audience's grasp and/or understanding of the information; and whether or not I need to re-evaluate how I am presenting.
The answer is an-across-the-board, Yes, I do !!!
In my particular company, our marketing team has generated a variety of incredible tools for presentation purposes. Two corporate videos (a 6 minute & 1 second clip for a brief synopsis of the company, and an 11 minute & 46 second version that can and does the entire presentation for you). The funny thing is, is that most humans (myself included) like to continue the presentation (ego). Adding in specific information they feel is relevant, and/or expanding on certain points. Sometimes we actually re-present everything the video presented, which unknowingly extended the presentation time well past the amount the average person's attention span can handle.
This information really made me think about how I will present moving forward.
Imagine, using the company's 11 minute & 46 second corporate video which truly explains everything quite eloquently, you the presenter, according to statistics, only have 8 minutes and 14 seconds until you (quite possibly) lose your average audience. Wow!!!
Can you summarize and close in 8 minutes and 14 seconds?
Most people, including myself, if answered honestly to that question, will probably say "as of today, no I can't".
Hence, we need to script our summary and close, which will definitely lead me to another sleepless evening tonight.
Ladies & Gents, thanks for stopping by. Tomorrow's topic: Scripting your summary & close in less than 8 minutes & 14 seconds, Ha !!!
~b2
Last night, after completing a 48-minute Business Presentation, I realized that I didn't even remember discussing certain slides within the presentation.
During my drive home, I called a colleague who was in attendance and asked, "Did I discuss x, y & z in the presentation tonight - as I don't even remember talking about them.
Their response was, "of course you did. Actually you nailed all of those points."
Wow !!!
Upon hanging up the phone, I started thinking about this - Actually, obsessing about it.
I started thinking back on my corporate career experience - from a public speaking standpoint - and it reminded me of a few things...
1) The more you do something (over & over & over & over again), you create deep neural pathways in the brain which allows you to become unconsciously competent at doing them (example: tying your shoes, reading etc.) This means you can unconsciously do something, very well, even though you don't particularly remember doing it.
2) The second thing I started obsessing about was the fact that if I didn't remember everything I presented, how on earth would the guests in the room remember everything I said - especially since they were only hearing it for the first time.
From these two simple, yet important observations, I realized that we as entrepreneurial professionals, all need to re-look at our presentation skills on a regular basis. We should record and/or film ourselves regularly so as to get a different perspective of us presenting IE: be the listener instead of the presenter.
Upon arriving home, all I could think about was the presentation, the audience, and their ability to grasp all the information that I shared ~ or their inability.
Was it my fault if they didn't or couldn't grasp everything that was shared? Do I need to shorten, tighten up or modify the presentation? Or continue doing as I've always done.
Well, that lead to a sleepless night. Tossing and turning going over my presentation countless times.
This morning, I decided I was going to go online and do some research on "The Average Human Being's Attention Span".
What I found truly blew my mind.
Obviously there are many, many, many factors involved within this topic, but the overwhelming statistical fact I read was that the average adults attention span is just 20 minutes !!!
Some of the "simple" factors involved are:
~ The font size/family/style & colour used in the PowerPoint
~ The number of bullet points on a slide
~ The amount of time (minutes) spent on each slide etc.
Then there are some more "difficult" factors that the presenter might not be aware of:
~ Is the Adult actually interested in the information being shared?
~ Does the Adult even want to be there?
~ Their current mindset (did they have a relaxing or exhausting/stressful day)
Then, there are medical questions pertaining to the number of undiagnosed cases of ADD within today's Adults - Thus greatly reducing the "average" 20 minute attention span.
All of this research got me thinking about my presentations; the time being spent on them; the audience's grasp and/or understanding of the information; and whether or not I need to re-evaluate how I am presenting.
The answer is an-across-the-board, Yes, I do !!!
In my particular company, our marketing team has generated a variety of incredible tools for presentation purposes. Two corporate videos (a 6 minute & 1 second clip for a brief synopsis of the company, and an 11 minute & 46 second version that can and does the entire presentation for you). The funny thing is, is that most humans (myself included) like to continue the presentation (ego). Adding in specific information they feel is relevant, and/or expanding on certain points. Sometimes we actually re-present everything the video presented, which unknowingly extended the presentation time well past the amount the average person's attention span can handle.
This information really made me think about how I will present moving forward.
Imagine, using the company's 11 minute & 46 second corporate video which truly explains everything quite eloquently, you the presenter, according to statistics, only have 8 minutes and 14 seconds until you (quite possibly) lose your average audience. Wow!!!
Can you summarize and close in 8 minutes and 14 seconds?
Most people, including myself, if answered honestly to that question, will probably say "as of today, no I can't".
Hence, we need to script our summary and close, which will definitely lead me to another sleepless evening tonight.
Ladies & Gents, thanks for stopping by. Tomorrow's topic: Scripting your summary & close in less than 8 minutes & 14 seconds, Ha !!!
~b2
Monday, January 2, 2012
2012 - Pay It Forward
Happy New Year My Friendly Blog Followers...
Today's post has been inspired by three recent events.
The first, It's a New Year. 2012. Michelle and I closed out 2011 on a very strong, positive & personal note: We got engaged!!! Together, we are looking at 2012 to be an incredible year, both personally & professionally - Here's hoping many of you also share this goal.
Secondly, I met and heard from many online friends and colleagues who all subtly commented on how much they enjoyed my blog, and wondered if I planned on continuing with it in the new year. - Answer: yes, I do, and I apologize for not keeping up with it during the final 45 days on 2011.
Finally, during the holidays, I received a very simple, yet powerful gift from Michelle: A DVD. The movie - Pay It Forward.
It was a movie (released in 2000) that I had not seen, nor had never heard of until Michelle shared the trailer for it on Youtube - Apparently, Michelle saw it on Daniel Correia's FB site.
There were a couple of times when I was just about to go to the mall to purchase a copy, but Michelle convinced me not to. Well Surprise Surprise, during the holidays a little package arrived in the mail. That's when we set the night - just the two of us, to watch it.
After watching the movie, I quickly realized that in both our personal & business lives, we "need" to Pay It Forward. Too many of us from the corporate world really have a difficult time with the "help people" approach. It's something that has been engrained on the brain (incredibly strong neuro pathways) - to not worry about your friends, colleagues etc., just take care of yourself. This is mostly true the higher you climb the corporate ladders.
This past year, I heard (a number of times), from some very successful people/mentors of mine, say, "Who can I go out and help today?"
I thought that it was a nice comment for these people to make, but I guess I didn't truly believe it - or maybe it was that I didn't truly understand it.
The more I heard it, the more I became curious. Then, after seeing the trailer for Pay It Forward, I became obsessed about it. So, the movie was put in.
Pay It Forward is a really "nice", "feel good" movie. But as I stripped away all of the conventional and predictable hollywood elements, I/we were left with a very powerful message. One that I want to discuss and share in today's blog. One that many of us entrepreneur's should latch on to and never ever let go.
This message is about taking on the responsibility to "help" someone. We are living in a incredibly difficult time these days. Many of our friends, family, neighbours & colleagues are having a difficult time. The increased-stress at home is because of a collapsing economy; lack of job security - or lack of jobs in general. These are the things that are making it very difficult to live the life that we are all meant to live. So what does it mean to "help" somebody? Well, maybe it starts with "listening":
listening: present participle of lis·ten (Verb)
Verb:
1.Give one's attention to a sound: "sit and listen to the radio".
2.Take notice of and act on what someone says; respond to advice or a request: "I told her over and over, but she wouldn't listen".
By listening, we can easily get to the root of the problem or issue. My question is, is if we get to the root, is it not easier to find a resolution? I think so.
So, I ask this of you...Are you committed to helping someone every day?
If yes, who are you going to help today?
Today, day two of 2012, I am committed to helping any one I can every day this year...
b2
Today's post has been inspired by three recent events.
The first, It's a New Year. 2012. Michelle and I closed out 2011 on a very strong, positive & personal note: We got engaged!!! Together, we are looking at 2012 to be an incredible year, both personally & professionally - Here's hoping many of you also share this goal.
Secondly, I met and heard from many online friends and colleagues who all subtly commented on how much they enjoyed my blog, and wondered if I planned on continuing with it in the new year. - Answer: yes, I do, and I apologize for not keeping up with it during the final 45 days on 2011.
Finally, during the holidays, I received a very simple, yet powerful gift from Michelle: A DVD. The movie - Pay It Forward.
It was a movie (released in 2000) that I had not seen, nor had never heard of until Michelle shared the trailer for it on Youtube - Apparently, Michelle saw it on Daniel Correia's FB site.
There were a couple of times when I was just about to go to the mall to purchase a copy, but Michelle convinced me not to. Well Surprise Surprise, during the holidays a little package arrived in the mail. That's when we set the night - just the two of us, to watch it.
After watching the movie, I quickly realized that in both our personal & business lives, we "need" to Pay It Forward. Too many of us from the corporate world really have a difficult time with the "help people" approach. It's something that has been engrained on the brain (incredibly strong neuro pathways) - to not worry about your friends, colleagues etc., just take care of yourself. This is mostly true the higher you climb the corporate ladders.
This past year, I heard (a number of times), from some very successful people/mentors of mine, say, "Who can I go out and help today?"
I thought that it was a nice comment for these people to make, but I guess I didn't truly believe it - or maybe it was that I didn't truly understand it.
The more I heard it, the more I became curious. Then, after seeing the trailer for Pay It Forward, I became obsessed about it. So, the movie was put in.
Pay It Forward is a really "nice", "feel good" movie. But as I stripped away all of the conventional and predictable hollywood elements, I/we were left with a very powerful message. One that I want to discuss and share in today's blog. One that many of us entrepreneur's should latch on to and never ever let go.
This message is about taking on the responsibility to "help" someone. We are living in a incredibly difficult time these days. Many of our friends, family, neighbours & colleagues are having a difficult time. The increased-stress at home is because of a collapsing economy; lack of job security - or lack of jobs in general. These are the things that are making it very difficult to live the life that we are all meant to live. So what does it mean to "help" somebody? Well, maybe it starts with "listening":
listening: present participle of lis·ten (Verb)
Verb:
1.Give one's attention to a sound: "sit and listen to the radio".
2.Take notice of and act on what someone says; respond to advice or a request: "I told her over and over, but she wouldn't listen".
By listening, we can easily get to the root of the problem or issue. My question is, is if we get to the root, is it not easier to find a resolution? I think so.
So, I ask this of you...Are you committed to helping someone every day?
If yes, who are you going to help today?
Today, day two of 2012, I am committed to helping any one I can every day this year...
b2
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Fundamentals
It has been said, that in anything we do in life, we must master the "fundamentals" in order to be successful.
It has also been said, that whether you're a brain surgeon, professional athlete, real estate agent or a stay-at-home mom, that there's truly only 3 or 4 fundamentals to master in any profession.
I whole-heartily agree with that statement.
The hardest part is...
1) getting all parties to agree on what the fundamentals actually are, and
2) focusing and committing yourself (and others) to actually working on those "fundamentals" every single day.
Our biggest problem is procrastination. The second, is convincing yourself "not" to fall back into those poor habits and/or routines that have nothing to do with the actual "fundamentals".
A little info on the word "Fundamental"
fundamental
[fuhn-duh-men-tl] Origin
fun·da·men·tal
[fuhn-duh-men-tl]
adjective
1.
serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying: fundamental principles; the fundamental structure.
2.
of, pertaining to, or affecting the foundation or basis: a fundamental revision.
3.
being an original or primary source: a fundamental idea.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin fundāmentālis of, belonging to a foundation. See fundament, -al1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are the fundamentals in your business?
Are you focused on those fundamentals to the point of being obsessive? If not, then you may not achieve what ever it is you set out to achieve...
Obsessive is not a bad word...Tomorrow we'll discuss it in greater detail.
Feel free to comment in the comment section below...
- b2
It has also been said, that whether you're a brain surgeon, professional athlete, real estate agent or a stay-at-home mom, that there's truly only 3 or 4 fundamentals to master in any profession.
I whole-heartily agree with that statement.
The hardest part is...
1) getting all parties to agree on what the fundamentals actually are, and
2) focusing and committing yourself (and others) to actually working on those "fundamentals" every single day.
Our biggest problem is procrastination. The second, is convincing yourself "not" to fall back into those poor habits and/or routines that have nothing to do with the actual "fundamentals".
A little info on the word "Fundamental"
fundamental
[fuhn-duh-men-tl] Origin
fun·da·men·tal
[fuhn-duh-men-tl]
adjective
1.
serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying: fundamental principles; the fundamental structure.
2.
of, pertaining to, or affecting the foundation or basis: a fundamental revision.
3.
being an original or primary source: a fundamental idea.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin fundāmentālis of, belonging to a foundation. See fundament, -al1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are the fundamentals in your business?
Are you focused on those fundamentals to the point of being obsessive? If not, then you may not achieve what ever it is you set out to achieve...
Obsessive is not a bad word...Tomorrow we'll discuss it in greater detail.
Feel free to comment in the comment section below...
- b2
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Miracle of Personal Development
I've been lucky enough to have this one numerous times...
Thought I'd share...
The Miracle of Personal Development
One day my mentor Mr. Shoaff said, "Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn this lesson well: Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job."
Since that time I've been working on my own personal development. And I must admit that this has been the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal development lasts a lifetime.
You see, what you become is far more important than what you get. The important question to ask on the job is not, "What am I getting?" Instead, you should ask, "What am I becoming?" Getting and becoming are like Siamese twins: What you become directly influences what you get. Think of it this way: Most of what you have today you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.
I've also found that income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle.
If someone hands you a million dollars, you'd better hurry up and become a millionaire. A very rich man once said, "If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before."
It is hard to keep that which has not been obtained through personal development.
So here's the great axiom of life:
To have more than you've got, become more than you are.
This is where you should focus most of your attention. Otherwise, you just might have to contend with the axiom of not changing, which is:
Unless you change how you are, you'll always have what you've got.
Thought I'd share...
The Miracle of Personal Development
One day my mentor Mr. Shoaff said, "Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn this lesson well: Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job."
Since that time I've been working on my own personal development. And I must admit that this has been the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal development lasts a lifetime.
You see, what you become is far more important than what you get. The important question to ask on the job is not, "What am I getting?" Instead, you should ask, "What am I becoming?" Getting and becoming are like Siamese twins: What you become directly influences what you get. Think of it this way: Most of what you have today you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.
I've also found that income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle.
If someone hands you a million dollars, you'd better hurry up and become a millionaire. A very rich man once said, "If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before."
It is hard to keep that which has not been obtained through personal development.
So here's the great axiom of life:
To have more than you've got, become more than you are.
This is where you should focus most of your attention. Otherwise, you just might have to contend with the axiom of not changing, which is:
Unless you change how you are, you'll always have what you've got.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Lack of Integrity - Re Commmitment
Lack of Integrity - Re Commmitment
Well hello friendly blog followers,
There comes a time, in everyone's life, when a person must publically declare, that they did not do what it was they said they would do...
That time for me, is today...
Last month in a couple of specific posts, I blogged about my dissatisfaction in a few areas of my life. I spoke about reaching out to a few friends/mentors to get some "re-invention" advice, and committed to this re-invention.
I also blogged about "accountability", and the importance of being accountable...
Well, I've personally found myself these past few weeks moving forward with a serious lack of integrity - And it's time to re-commit to my goals...
~ My health & well-being goals (fitness & getting more rest)
~ My realtionship goals of spending quality, no-tech time with Mich, Mad & Wy
~ My personal development goals
~ My professional commitment to following a proven system
The long and the short of it is this my friends...
~ Sometimes we fall off the path we committed to following.
~ Sometimes we are pushed off the path.
~ Sometimes we stop to take a nap because things got so hectic.
~ Sometimes we jump off because we don't see immediate results
We all know the key to success my friends is to keep your word (your integrity) intact, and to implement consistant action.
And, if for some reason you find yourself falling, being pushed, napping or jumping - Publically declare that you are not being true to your word, and re-commit to the things you have listed as priorities in your life.
By publically declaring this, you are once again stating your intentions, which will force your mind, body and soul to re-commmit and succeed !!!
Have a great day...
~b2
Well hello friendly blog followers,
There comes a time, in everyone's life, when a person must publically declare, that they did not do what it was they said they would do...
That time for me, is today...
Last month in a couple of specific posts, I blogged about my dissatisfaction in a few areas of my life. I spoke about reaching out to a few friends/mentors to get some "re-invention" advice, and committed to this re-invention.
I also blogged about "accountability", and the importance of being accountable...
Well, I've personally found myself these past few weeks moving forward with a serious lack of integrity - And it's time to re-commit to my goals...
~ My health & well-being goals (fitness & getting more rest)
~ My realtionship goals of spending quality, no-tech time with Mich, Mad & Wy
~ My personal development goals
~ My professional commitment to following a proven system
The long and the short of it is this my friends...
~ Sometimes we fall off the path we committed to following.
~ Sometimes we are pushed off the path.
~ Sometimes we stop to take a nap because things got so hectic.
~ Sometimes we jump off because we don't see immediate results
We all know the key to success my friends is to keep your word (your integrity) intact, and to implement consistant action.
And, if for some reason you find yourself falling, being pushed, napping or jumping - Publically declare that you are not being true to your word, and re-commit to the things you have listed as priorities in your life.
By publically declaring this, you are once again stating your intentions, which will force your mind, body and soul to re-commmit and succeed !!!
Have a great day...
~b2
Monday, October 31, 2011
A Challenge To Succeed
It is a challenge to succeed. If it were not, I'm sure more people would be successful, but for every person who is enjoying the fruit from the tree of success, many more are examining the roots. They are trying to figure it all out. They are mystified and perplexed by what seems to be some strange, complex and elusive secret that must be found if ever success is to be enjoyed. While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily engaged in designing and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. While the much larger group sits in awe at how life can be so unfair, complicated and unjust.
"I am a nice person," the man says to himself. "How come this other guy is happy and prosperous and I'm always struggling?" He asks himself, "I am a good husband, a good father and a good worker. How come nothing seems to work out for me? Life just isn't fair. I'm even smarter and willing to work harder than some of these other people who just seem to have everything going their way," he says as he slumps into the sofa to watch another evening of television. But you see you've got to be more than a good person and a good worker. You've got to become a good planner, and a good dreamer. You've got to see the future finished in advance.
You've got to put in the long hours and put up with the setbacks and the disappointments. You've got to learn to enjoy the process of disciplines and of putting yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable. You've got to be prepared and willing to attack the challenges if you want the success because challenges are part of success. Now that may sound like a full menu of activities, but let me assure you that the process of going from average to fortune isn't really all that difficult. Thinking about it is the difficult part. Anticipating all the effort and the changes and the disciplines is far worse in the mind than in reality. I can promise you that the challenges you'll meet on the road to success are far less difficult to deal with than the struggles and the disappointments that come from being average. Confronting and overcoming challenges is an exhilarating experience. It does something to feed the soul and the mind. It makes you more than you were before. It strengthens the mental muscles and enables you to become better prepared for the next challenge.
I've often said that to have more, we must first become more, and to become more, we must begin the process of working harder on ourselves than we do on anything else. But in addition to gathering new knowledge, new skills and new experiences, it is also important to discover new emotions. It is how we feel about what we know that makes the biggest difference in how our lives turn out. How we feel about the chances we have and the choices we have determines the intensity of our effort. Whether we try or don't try. Join or don't join. Believe or don't believe.
I'd like for you to discover some strong feelings about your life and about what you want to do with that life. You probably have much of the knowledge and a lot of the experience and perhaps most of the skills that it takes to become successful. What you may be lacking in are the strong feelings about what you want and what you want to do. You may be one of those who have become so involved in the process of earning a living that you've forgotten about the choices and the chances you have for designing your own life.
Let these strong feelings help you take a second look at your life and where you're headed. After all, you've only got one life, at least on this planet. So why not make it an adventure in achievement? Why not discover what all you can do and what all you can have? Why not discover how many others you can help and in the process how that can help you?
Why not now take the Challenge to Succeed!
"I am a nice person," the man says to himself. "How come this other guy is happy and prosperous and I'm always struggling?" He asks himself, "I am a good husband, a good father and a good worker. How come nothing seems to work out for me? Life just isn't fair. I'm even smarter and willing to work harder than some of these other people who just seem to have everything going their way," he says as he slumps into the sofa to watch another evening of television. But you see you've got to be more than a good person and a good worker. You've got to become a good planner, and a good dreamer. You've got to see the future finished in advance.
You've got to put in the long hours and put up with the setbacks and the disappointments. You've got to learn to enjoy the process of disciplines and of putting yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable. You've got to be prepared and willing to attack the challenges if you want the success because challenges are part of success. Now that may sound like a full menu of activities, but let me assure you that the process of going from average to fortune isn't really all that difficult. Thinking about it is the difficult part. Anticipating all the effort and the changes and the disciplines is far worse in the mind than in reality. I can promise you that the challenges you'll meet on the road to success are far less difficult to deal with than the struggles and the disappointments that come from being average. Confronting and overcoming challenges is an exhilarating experience. It does something to feed the soul and the mind. It makes you more than you were before. It strengthens the mental muscles and enables you to become better prepared for the next challenge.
I've often said that to have more, we must first become more, and to become more, we must begin the process of working harder on ourselves than we do on anything else. But in addition to gathering new knowledge, new skills and new experiences, it is also important to discover new emotions. It is how we feel about what we know that makes the biggest difference in how our lives turn out. How we feel about the chances we have and the choices we have determines the intensity of our effort. Whether we try or don't try. Join or don't join. Believe or don't believe.
I'd like for you to discover some strong feelings about your life and about what you want to do with that life. You probably have much of the knowledge and a lot of the experience and perhaps most of the skills that it takes to become successful. What you may be lacking in are the strong feelings about what you want and what you want to do. You may be one of those who have become so involved in the process of earning a living that you've forgotten about the choices and the chances you have for designing your own life.
Let these strong feelings help you take a second look at your life and where you're headed. After all, you've only got one life, at least on this planet. So why not make it an adventure in achievement? Why not discover what all you can do and what all you can have? Why not discover how many others you can help and in the process how that can help you?
Why not now take the Challenge to Succeed!
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